So. Since I got up nice and early, at 6:10am, I was feeling like I should DO something today....or GO somewhere...or something. Usually, I am not up and awake until 8:30ish....so by the time I eat, get dressed (if I actually EVER get dressed that day...sad, I know) and can even THINK about going somewhere it is almost lunch time and the babies are taking a nap and it just doesn't seem worth it. So today, I was awake and ready to go. But I couldn't think of anything to do. Saturdays are hard, because I know that most of my friends are enjoying the weekend with their husbands....having family time. So it isn't the best day to try to coordinate a spur-of-the-moment playdate. And it's always more daunting to run errands on weekends since everything is busier. But I REALLY wanted to get out. How much??? SO much that I loaded up all 4 kids and headed to the grocery store.
Yep.
That's correct.
The grocery store.
"I need to go to the grocery store." It is one of those sentences, that as I've had more children, has slowly, but completely, changed in meaning.
There were the pre-kid days: In those days...it was kind of annoying. But also no big deal. Like..aw man, I need this ingredient. Oh well. I'll just run to the store real quick. I'd get to the store...jump out of the car....run in....get what I needed....back to the car....back home.
Then...I had Kenzie. And I thought things were SOOOO HARD. It was a pretty drastic change at the time. I had to plan around HER schedule...when she had eaten...when she was tired. Loading and unloading took an extra 2-3 minutes. People would stop to admire the baby. A "quick trip to the store" just didn't exist anymore. But it never really crossed my mind NOT to go. Going just took longer.
Then I had Ryken. And suddenly, when I'd think of grocery shopping, I now carefully weighed in my mind whether I REALLY felt like taking the kids. I would sometimes take them, and sometimes plan to go when Chip would be home. It was also at this point, that going grocery shopping alone started to feel like freedom. A luxury. Time ALL ALONE.
Then I had Emery & Casey. And the thought of the grocery store.....myself.....with all 4 kids....seems: 1. crazy. 2. scary. 3. impossible.
It's just the grocery store, but as silly as it sounds, I have actually seriously had the thought many times "Can I do it? Should I even dare try??"
But for some reason, today I felt up for the challenge. I wanted to get out. The kids were being good. I NEEDED to go to the store. And so...I loaded them up and off we went. As I started to drive, I actually panicked in my head a little and thought about calling my grandpa or Chip's mom or something and ditching the grocery store idea all together and just going to visit someone. But I really felt like I wanted to know I could do it. It seems silly, I know. But ever since the twins, I have had that feeling so many times.....just needing to know that I'm capable and it really isn't THAT bad.
So we got to the store. I was PRAYING that a "car cart" would be available. It was my plan. And I had no "plan B". The "car carts" are these amazingly huge annoying shopping carts that have a toy car attached to the front where kids can sit and "drive". Kenzie and Ryken LOVE these carts. In the past, I've always tried to avoid them. I literally would park on the other side of the parking lot to try to keep the kids from spotting them when I'd see them. But today, I was praying for one. As we were pulling up, I spotted a pitiful looking one at the entrance...the steering wheels had been removed and it was filthy. But it was a "car cart". So I quickly (as quickly as I COULD) parked and got the kids unloading....hoping it would still be at the entrance by the time we got there. And it was....."phew". So Kenzie and Ryken loaded in the "car". Emery was in his carseat on the normal "seat" part of the car (where people normally put carseats) and I was wearing Casey in a sling.
And guess what?
It went GREAT!
Neither baby cried at all. Casey slept in the sling and Emery was awake, but just hanging out, the whole time. Kenzie and Ryken didn't fight. Or cry. Or scream. Ryken yelled "Other way" a few times when he wanted me to go back to something he wanted. But it wasn't a big deal. We got everything we needed and checked out. I bought the kids some TicTacs as a special "treat" for being SO good.
So. Now I know I can. And it doesn't even have to be that bad. Will I start taking all 4 kids to the grocery store regularly? Probably not. And by probably not, I mean no. Just because I CAN do it, doesn't mean I HAVE to do it. So grocery store time will still primarily be "mommy alone time" (or mommy/one-on-one child date....that is fun too!)
But now the grocery store by myself with 4 kids 3 looks more like this:
1. crazy 2. scary
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